[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1517]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN SUPPORT OF THE FORWARD ON CLIMATE RALLY FEBRUARY 14, 2013

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                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2013

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join President Obama and 
concerned citizens around the world to say it is high time we move 
forward on addressing climate change.
  As President Obama said in his State of the Union address: ``We can 
choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in 
decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all 
just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the 
overwhelming judgment of science--and act before it's too late.''
  This weekend, tens of thousands of people--including 100 buses from 
over 30 states--will be traveling to Washington, DC to participate in 
Sunday's Forward on Climate Rally to demonstrate their support for 
action on climate change.
  My home state of Maryland knows all too well the devastating effects 
of extreme weather events, and the threat that coastal flooding and sea 
level rise present to our coastal communities. In that regard, I'm 
proud that Maryland is tackling this issue head on by committing to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below 2006 levels by 
2020. In addition to restoring a healthy climate, this initiative will 
boost economic growth, create jobs and save consumers money.
  Mr. Speaker, I welcome the Forward on Climate Rally to the nation's 
capital, and I stand with concerned citizens from across the country 
who say the time is now to address climate change.

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